Roller-type expander tool

ABSTRACT

A roller-type expander tool having at its forward end a forwardly convergent array of circumferentially spaced rollers, and having rearwardly of such forwardly convergent array a substantially cylindrical array of circumferentially spaced rollers capable of radially outward expansion.

United States Patent Roeschlaub ROLLER-TYPE EXPANDER TOOL [72] Inventor:Ronald C. Roeschlaub, Los Angeles,

Calif.

[73] Assignee: lrontite Products Co., Inc., El

Monte, Calif.

[22] Filed: Aug. 19, 1970 [2|] Appl. No.: 65,183

[52] [1.8. (II 72/1 I), 29/523, 72/122 I51] Int. (IL. HBZId 39/06, [321d39/]() ['38] Held 0! Search,...,. .72/l 18, ll), I22, I26, 393,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,627,891 2/1953 Clark f...72/1 19 451 Aug. 15, 1972 8/ l 965 Grotnes ..72/393 734,274 7/1903Lovekin", ..72/1 19 1,545,039 7/1925 Deavers ..72/1 18 PrimaryExaminer-Lowell A. Larson Att0rneyl-larris, Kiech, Russell & Kern [571ABSTRACT A roller-type expander tool having at its forward end aforwardly convergent array of circumferentially spaced rollers, andhaving rearwardly of such forwardly convergent array 21 substantiallycylindrical array of circumferentially spaced rollers capable ofradially outward expansion.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ROLLER-TYPE EXPANDER TOOL BACKGROUND OFINVENTION The present invention relates in general to expander tools forhollow or tubular bodies and, more particularly, to a tool of thischaracter equipped with arrays of circumferentially spaced rollers.

The present invention was originally embodied in and is particularlyapplicable to a roller-type expander tool for diesel engine injectortubes, and, consequently, will be considered in such connection hereinfor convenience. As background, such an injector tube includes a taperednose which must be expanded into fluid-tight engagement with a taperedseat in the engine, and includes a cylindrical barrel a portion of whichmust similarly be expanded into engagement with a cylindrical seat inthe engine.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION With the foregoing background in mind,the primary object of the invention is to provide a roller-type expandertool for a diesel engine injector tube of the character mentioned whichis capable of expanding the tapered nose of the injector tube and thedesired portion of the cylindrical barrel thereof without expanding anyportion of the injector tube therebetween. Since the intermediateportions of the injector tube are not expanded, the injector tube may bewithdrawn readily if necessary, which is an important feature.

More particularly, an important object of the invention is to provide aroller-type expander tool which includes: a tool body having axiallyspaced forward and rearward ends; a forwardly convergent array ofcircumferentially spaced rollers carried by the tool body adjacent itsforward end; a substantially cylindrical array of circumferentiallyspaced rollers carried by the tool body adjacent its rearward end; meansmounting the rollers of the substantially cylindrical array on the toolbody for radially inward and outward movement so as to provide forradially outward-expansion of the substantially cylindrical array; andexpander means for radially expanding the substantially cylindricalarray of rollers.

With the foregoing construction, the expander tool expands only thetapered nose and a portion of the cylindrical barrel of the dieselengine injector tube, without expanding any portion in between, which isan important feature.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expander tool of theforegoing nature wherein the expander means comprises an axially movableexpander member having adjacent its forward end forwardly convergent cammeans insertable into the substantially cylindrical array of rollers toradially expand same in response to forward movement of the expandermember.

A further object of the invention is to provide the expander tool withspring means biasing the expander member rearwardly relative to the toolbody to permit radially inward contraction of the substantiallycylindrical array of rollers.

Still another object is to provide means keying the tool body and theexpander member together against relative rotation while permittingrelative axial movement thereof, and to provide the expander member atits rearward end with driving means for biasing the expander toolforwardly and for simultaneously rotating It.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the expandertool art in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with theexemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and described in detail hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a roller-type expander toolwhich embodies the invention, FIG. 1 being taken as indicated by thearrowed line ll of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the expander tool and is taken looking upwardlyas the expander tool is viewed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the expander tool of theinvention in place prior to expanding axially spaced taperednose andcylindrical barrel portions of a diesel engine injector tube;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowedline 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the operation ofthe expander tool of the invention in expanding axially spaced taperednose and cylindrical barrel portions of the injector tube; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowedline 6-6 of FIG. 5 of the drawmg.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION Referring to thedrawing, the roller-type expander tool of the invention is designatedgenerally therein by the numeral 10 and is provided at its forward endwith a tool body 12 having a tapered nose 14 carrying a forwardlyconvergent array of circumferentially spaced rollers 16. These rollersare disposed in complementary grooves 18 having angular extents of morethan Pins 20 retain the rollers 16 in the grooves 18 at their rearwardends. The rollers 16 are retained in the grooves 18 at their forwardends in any suitable manner, as by radially outwardly expanding acentral portion 22 of the forward end of the tapered nose 14.

The tool body 12 has the general configuration of a rearwardly facingcup and the skirt 24 thereof is provided at its rearward end withcircumferentially spaced slots 26 receiving therein longitudinal rollers28 arranged in a substantially cylindrical array. The slots 26 exposethe rollers 28 both internally and externally of the skirt 24, and havea diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the rollers 28 so thatthe rollers can move radially inwardly and outwardly in the slots 26. Aswill be discussed hereinafter, this permits radially outward expansionof the substantially cylindrical array of rollers 28. The rollers 28 areseated at their forward ends against the forward ends of the slots 26.The rearward ends of the rollers 28 are retained by a ring 30 secured tothe rearward end of the skirt 24 of the tool body 12 by screws 32.

Coaxial with the tool body 12 and extending rearwardly therefrom is astem 34 the forward end of which is disposed in the cup-shaped tool body12 and is suitably secured to the tapered nose 14 of the tool body, asby threading it thereinto. The stem 34 is disposed in an axial bore 36in an axially movable expander member 38 the forward end of whichprojects into the cup-shaped tool body 12. A spring means 40 comprisinga compression coil spring is disposed in the rearward end of the bore 36and is seated against the rearward end face of such bore and therearward end face of the stem 34. Thus, the spring means 40 biases theexpander member 38 rearwardly. The expander member 38 is provided at itsforward end with a forwardly convergent, annular cam means 42 whichradially expands the substantially cylindrical array of Iongitudinalrollers 28 in response to forward movement of the expander memberrelative to the tool body 12, into the position shown in FIG. of thedrawing. Thus, the cam means 42 on the expander member 38 serves as anexpander means for radially expanding the substantially cylindricalarray oflongitudinal rollers 28.

A transverse pin 44 is pressed into a transverse bore through the stem34 and has its ends disposed in longitudinal slots 46 in the expandermember 38. This pinand-slot connection between the stem 34 and theexpander member 38 permits relative axial movement of the expandermember 38 and the tool body 12, while preventing relative rotationthereof.

The expander tool is adapted to be driven by a chuck, or the like, notshown, engaging a coaxial, rearwardly extending, driving stem 48 on theexpander member. As will be apparent, by driving the expander tool 10 inthis manner, it can be rotated and, at the same time, the expandermember 38 can be displaced axially forwardly to radially expand thesubstantially cylindrical array of longitudinal rollers 28, as shown inFIG. 5 of the drawing.

As previously mentioned herein, the expander tool 10 is particularlyadapted to expand a forwardly tapered nose 52 and a cylindrical barrel54 of a diesel engine injector tube 56 into fluid-tight engagement witha tapered seat 58 and a cylindrical seat or bore 60, respectively,without expanding the intervening portion of the cylindrical barrel 54.Initially, the injector tube 56 is placed in position, as shown in FIG.3, and the forward end of the expander tool 10 is inserted therein.Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, a forward force is applied to thedriving stem 48, and the expander tool is simultaneously rotated byrotating the driving stem. This causes the forwardly convergent array ofrollers 16 to roll the tapered nose 52 of the injector tube 56 intofluid tight engagement with the tapered seat 58. At the same time, thecam means 42 on the expander member 38 radially expands thesubstantially cylindrical array of longitudinal rollers 28 to causethese rollers to radially expand the rearward end of the injector tube56 into fluid tight engagement with the cylindrical seat 60. It will benoted that no intermediate portion of the barrel 54 of the injector tube56 is expanded, which is an important feature of the invention since itpermits easy withdrawal of the injector tube at a later time if this isever necessary for any reason.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed forpurposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes,modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodimentwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theclaims appearing hereinafter.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a roller-type expander tool, the combination of:

a. a tool body having axially spaced forward and rearward ends;

b. a forwardly convergent array of circumferentially spaced rollerscarried by said tool body adjacent its forward end;

c. a substantially cylindrical array of circumferentially spaced rollerscarried by said tool body adjacent its rearward end;

d. means mounting said rollers of said substantially cylindrical arrayon said tool body for radially inward and outward movement so as toprovide for radially outward expansion of said substantially cylindricalarray;

e. expander means for radially expanding said substantially cylindricalarray;

f. said expander means comprising an axially movable expander memberhaving adjacent its forward end forwardly convergent cam meansinsertable into said substantially cylindrical array to radially expandsame in response to forward movement of said expander member; and

g. said tool body having the configuration of a rearwardly facing cupand having a coaxial, rearwardly extending stem connected thereto withits forward end within said cup, said expander member having an axialbore axially slidably receiving said stem therein and the forward end ofsaid expander member being disposed within said cup.

2. An expander tool according to claim 1 including means keying saidexpander member and said stem together against relative rotation.

3. An expander tool as defined in claim 2 including spring means in saidbore and engaging said stem and said expander member for biasing saidexpander member rearwardly relative to said tool body.

4. An expander tool according to claim 3 including a coaxial, rearwardlyextending driving stem on said expander member.

1. In a roller-type expander tool, the combination of: a. a tool bodyhaving axially spaced forward and rearward ends; b. a forwardlyconvergent array of circumferentially spaced rollers carried by saidtool body adjacent its forward end; c. a substantially cylindrical arrayof circumferentially spaced rollers carried by said tool body adjacentits rearward end; d. means mounting said rollers of said substantiallycylindrical array on said tool body for radially inward and outwardmovement so as to provide for radially outward expansion of saidsubstantially cylindrical array; e. expander means for radiallyexpanding said substantially cylindrical array; f. said expander meanscomprising an axially movable expander member having adjacent itsforward end forwardly convergent cam means insertable into saidsubstantially cylindrical array to radially expand same in response toforward movement of said expander member; and g. said tool body havingthe configuration of a rearwardly facing cup and having a coaxial,rearwardly extending stem connected thereto with its forward end withinsaid cup, said expander member having an axial bore axially slidablyreceiving said stem therein and the forward end of said expander memberbeing disposed within said cup.
 2. An expander tool according to claim 1including means keying said eXpander member and said stem togetheragainst relative rotation.
 3. An expander tool as defined in claim 2including spring means in said bore and engaging said stem and saidexpander member for biasing said expander member rearwardly relative tosaid tool body.
 4. An expander tool according to claim 3 including acoaxial, rearwardly extending driving stem on said expander member.